Joan Elaine Tow

Joan Elaine Tow passed away Sunday, January 22, 2012 in Shreveport. LA. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Friday, January 27 at Scanio-Harper Funeral Home with Dr. Martin Knox officiating. Interment will immediately follow in Bellwood Memorial Park. Visitation will be Friday prior to the service from 1-2:00 p.m. at Scanio-Harper. Elaine, 87, was born on her mother's birthday, Dec. 6, 1924 in Cisco. She was the daughter of Lizzie Ada Poe Altom and Edgar Frank Altom. After completing high school in Eastland she traveled to San Diego, CA in Oct. of 1943 to marry Donald Clayton Tow, also of Eastland. Don re-named her "Shortie", and as a result, she became "Shortie" to many close friends, family members and grandchildren. Soon after Don's return from WWII the couple moved to Temple. Shortie devoted her life to being a homemaker extraordinaire. Her love for family was obvious in everything she did. If you were considered a friend, you were regarded as family, and as a result, were privileged to her famous Hershey Bar Cakes. Elaine's daughters, Donna Joan and Jana, want to thank everyone of Mother's dear friends who made it possible for her to remain in Temple after "Daddy" passed away. Mother's love of First Baptist Church, Pastor Martin Knox and music director Gary Anthony, and all her life-long Temple friends, made the thought of leaving Temple almost unbearable for her. We especially want to thank Beth Caesar Winkler, who Mother considered another daughter, for her tireless effort with Mother. Shortie is preceded in death by her devoted husband, Donald Clayton Tow, parents Edgar and Ada Altom, in-laws Joe and Margaret Tow, brother Garner Altom, brother and sisters-in-law, Doyle and Ann Tow, grandson Clayton Nathaniel Aikman, loving family and friends. Mother will be dearly missed by Donna Joan and Art Howard, Jana and Phil Aikman, Heather and Brian Basinger along with their sons Caleb, Carson, and Cameron, Trevor Howard, Amanda and Craig Moss along with their son's Jaxon and Colton, and Laura and Landon Aikman-Smith. Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church Downtown Building Fund or to Music for Life Institute, African Children's Choir, P.O. Box 29690, Bellingham, WA 98228-1690.